Francis m



F. M. GIFFORD.

Whip Lock.

No. 75,409. Patented March 10, 1868.

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FRANCIS M. GlFFOlt-l), OF ERlE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN G. SELDEN, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent .No. 75,409, dated Ilfm'ch 10, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHIP-LOCKS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. JGIFFORD, of Erie, in the county of Erie, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improved Whip-Lock; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the'ncccmpanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved method ofconstrueting locks for securing the whip within the socket by an attachment independent of the socket itself, whereby the whip cannot be removed from the socket without the key.

It consists of two metallic arms provided upon each end withjaws, the upper side of one of said arms being provided with a nut, the other of said arms being provided, in like manner, with a socket, said socket being provided with allele, and said nut being provided with a screw-thread to receive a screw, by means of which the jaws are drawn or forced together, the head of said screw being so constructed and concealed as that only a key of a peculiar construction will unscrew or unlock said jaws and release the whip from the socket. In the accompanying plate of drawings- Figure 1 is a front view of my invention in position on the dasher-rod.

Figure 2 is a cross-section of the saine taken in the line x a, fig. 1, with whip-stock shown in red.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. i

A are the jaws; C is a nut upon one of the jaws A; B is a socket upon the other of the jaws A; a is a spring-wire attached to each of the jaws Aby the scrdws or rivets; a a are screws or rivets; D is the locking screw; E is the key; F is a whip-socketg G is the dashcr-rod; H is the dasher.

The arms A are independent of the socket, and are auxiliary to the same, for the purpose of holding the stock of a whip, and the more securely retaining the same in the socket F, and may be attached to the dasher rods of all vehicles, as well as those now in use and to be used. The arms A are made of brass or composition or iron, or other suitable metal, of suilicient size and strength, so as to clasp and hold the whip firmly in the socket; are alike in form, and are provided on the inside, and upon each end, withjaws, so as that when together they will form a smallerpair of jaws upon one or the back end, and a longer or larger pair of jaws upon the other or front end of the same, as shown in the drawings. I The arms-A are held together by about-wire spring, a, secured to each of said arms by the screws or rivets a. Said spring a is so bent as to admit the whip-stock between the parts thereof, as shown in the drawing, fig. 2. The smaller or back jaws of the arms A are curved towards each other, and so as to receive the dasher-rod G between the parts thereof, and so that by forcing said jaws together the same will take firm hold upon the dasher-rod Gr, thus furnishing a neat and safe fastening for I the lock to the dasher II. The larger or front jaws of the arms A are also curved towards each other, and so 'as to receive the whip-stock, and so that-when said jaws are forced together the whip will be firmly held between the same. Upon one of the arms A, and so as to be between thesmaller and the larger jaws, is a nut, C. The nut C is made of metal, is cylindrical in form, and provided with a rivet upon one end, by means of which said nut C is secured upon said arm A, andso riveted to the same as to allow *a slight rocking or rotating or vibrating motion upon the said arm A. Said nut C is bored and tapped out with a coarse screw-thread, through a diam eterof the same, so as to receive the screw D, as shown. Upon the other of said arms A, and situated indike manner as the nut U, is a socket, B.' The socket B is cylindrical in form, and has upon one end of the sainea rivet, and is riveted upon the arm A in like manner as the nut C, so as to be permitted a slight vibrating motion, and is drilled through the diameter of the same with a smooth hole, to receive the screw D, and so that said screw D will freely turn in said socket B. The hole in the socket B is countersunk upon one side of the socket B, so as to receive the head of the screw D, and also so as to receive within the same a key by means of which the screw is turned; The object of the vibrating motion permitted to the nut C and the socket B is so that the same will not bind upon the screw D in any position of the arms A. The screw D is a metallic screw, having upon one end-a flatted head, or head of any shape, to receive a key, and is provided upon the other end with a coarse screw-thread, to fit the thread in the nut C. The screw D must be of sufiicient size for strength, and

passes through the socket B, and is turned into the nut G, as shown, and must be of, suflicient length to permit the jaws to open to receive the whip-stock. The key E is a metallic key of any form, so as to conform to the shape of the head of the screw D. The lock is attached to the (lasher H of any vehi cl e ,,so as Ito be directly over the socket F.

The operation is readily seen. By turning back the screw D withthe key E, the jawsxwill be opened by the force of-the spring a, ,and'the whip may then be inserted betwe n. the largerjaws and into the socket-F,

when, by turning the screw D in the opposite direction, the lcrgerjaws will be closed firmlyupo-nthe whim-the smallerjaws being at the same time firmly closed upon the dasher-rod GI Constructed as above described, it constitutes a. neat and safe lockto secure a whipin-the socket'find'ependent of the socket itself, the advantage of which is that .a. whip may he so secured therein-as that'it cannot be removed by any one without the proper key.

I claim as'new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- .1. A look for securing a whip in the socket'upon the dasher of any vehicle, composed of the arms A, form ing two sets of iaws, operated by a screw, I), and key E, and a spring, a, or its equivalent, substantially as shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The arms A, in combination with the vibrating-nut C and the wire-spring a, and the vibrating-socket B and the screw D, substantially as shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

FRANCIS M. GIFFORD;

Witnesses:

Anson TAYLOR, ABRAM DIMON. 

